Why acceptance is the best foundation for everything in life

Acceptance doesn’t mean giving up your dreams. It means knowing that right now the path to your goal looks a little different than you expected. It is working with what you have, not trying to push your preferred way through.

Nothing happens for pushy people. Really, it doesn’t. They just make life difficult for everyone around them, including themselves.

Some might say that “the squeaky wheel gets the oil” - the ones that complain get the attention, but in my experience, the most help goes to those who politely, easily and consistently ask for it, working with what they have and not insisting on having something they don’t.

The whole universe responds to someone who, in the words of that well known prayer, has the strength to change the things they can change, the serenity to accept the things they can’t, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Acceptance isn't giving up your dreams or desires. It is knowing that life can only be experienced now. All journeys are made of single steps consisting of the same intention.

Acceptance is the seed that means you choose to be thankful for what you do have, and not be blinded by what you believe to be missing.

Acceptance is the end of the past and the future. Comparison cannot exist in the light of acceptance.

Accept everything, resist nothing.

What to do when you don't like a situation

In any situation you don’t like you have three options: You can change it. If you can’t change it, you can leave it. If you can’t leave, or - very importantly - if you choose not to leave, then you must accept the situation, as it is, completely and utterly.

Most of humanity goes for option #4: Complain about it.

Complaining doesn’t do much. Perhaps as a very short term ‘get rid of steam’ strategy it is okay, but continued complaining just leads to blaming and resentment, more stress and no peace.

See when you choose to complain. Make another choice - it’s all you rationally can do.

But when you accept you also get to see the situation clearly. You get to work with what you have, rather than wasting your time wishing you had something else.

Making the best of what you have - and all the creativity that goes with it - only can begin in complete acceptance.

Acceptance also means you get to see clearly if you can change something about the situation. So often we don't think we can do anything because "that's the way its always been done" or simply because change sometimes takes courage to say "no".

It really is the path of heroes. Accept everything, resist nothing.

Taking time out means you can move forward

I’m going to Spain tomorrow to spend the (English) summer at a meditation retreat.

Three months in the mountains with people from all around the world. They’re coming from as far as Mexico, New Zealand, Argentina and Taiwan.

The weather is sweet, the food is tasty, and the vibe is very relaxed yet excited. There are some grand discoveries happening, and a lot of joy. If you're at all interested, or just want to have a snoop at the retreat, here's the page: www.thebrightpath.com/spain-mastery-retreats

I’m not telling you this to show off. Well, ok, a little bit, but more to tell you about the value of retreating.

In this busy world we think more is better. Go further, faster, stronger. The thing is that it doesn’t seem this way, but sometimes to retreat is to advance.

To take time out, to take stock, to come out of the details. Actually, just to let go of the stuff for a little while.

You need to retreat every day. You can create a little sanctuary - and you need to create a little sanctuary - just by finding a quiet place, even the toilet, to sit and take time out. To do nothing.

It doesn’t need to be long - ten minutes is a great start - just close your eyes and see what you notice. You aren’t “doing” anything, just noticing, without judgement, everything.

Try your breath. Or sounds. Or your body. Or count your thoughts. Or you can think a phrase that means something to you and watch it dissolve and vanish.

Whatever you do - take time out. It’ll make a huge difference in the enjoyment and effectiveness of your day.

Being bolder than your comfort zone

If you never did anything different, where would you be?If you never took a step into the unknown, what experience would you have? The same as ever, the same as everyone else.

Everything that you have done that is worth doing has required you to go beyond your comfort zone. Moving forward is rarely comfortable.

The mind hates progress for this reason.  And it’s why you can use that feeling as a gauge to indicate what is truly important to you.

If the idea of doing something makes you nervous or brings up doubt about whether you are up to the task then that is an excellent indicator of importance. Follow that idea, do that thing.

You see, the opposite of love is not hate but indifference.

If it doesn’t require you to overcome some resistance to get it, it has little value to you. The more resistance, the more value it has to you.

I don’t think you will ever get to a place where courage isn’t required. You just get better at ignoring the “I can’t’s”, the even more subtle “I’m not ready yet’s”, and of course the “it might all go wrong’s and then what’s?”

Being bolder is a skill that you can practice. It starts with awareness of your mind’s limitations and setting your attention beyond these complaints.

What do you want to do? Expect resistance and jump anyway.

The first step before flying is to leap.

Enjoying the process and doing it "better"

Don’t base how committed you are to doing something on momentary success or failure. An attitude of “well, I’ll keep doing it as long as I am good at it” will never result in anything. Everything that you do will have good and bad days - days when everything seems to be swimming along magically and other days when nothing seems to go right.

If you quit because you don’t appear to be “any good” at something in this moment, you will never get better. All learning has phases of seeming “good” and “bad”.

Don’t quit when you hear that voice.

As a baby you weren’t any “good” at walking. Did you quit?

Consider any top athlete - say the tennis player. How many times do you think they practice a particular shot? Millions of times? Probably, right? No matter what, they are out there practicing - in all conditions and in all circumstances.

They’re in it for the long game, they want to master a skill and they know it involves committing to a process.

They’re in it for constant improvement. They’re not in it to be “good”, they’re in it to be “better”.

So - Remove any idea of “doing it good” and “doing it bad” from the equation.

Instead, become interested in “how can I do it better next time?”

Enjoy the process.

A wise man once said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Enjoy each and every one of those steps for what they are.

That way, no matter what, you’ll make the next step and the next, and you’ll reach the top before you know it.

When you frame each and every action in this way, as part of a continually evolving process (= an attitude of constant improvement based in complete contentment of this moment) long term commitment is easy, the path is enjoyable, and greatness is guaranteed.

Makes life, and getting what you want while enjoying it, so much easier.

Have a great day!

How happiness is like exercise

Did you know...? Thinking too much, anxiety, worry, anger, fear, stress, actually negativity in general… all of these things are just habits.

They are something we’ve learned to do in response to things that we don’t like. The more you react in a certain way, the stronger that “way” gets and so the easier it is to respond like that.

It becomes a habit, a reaction.

It’s a bit of a bottomless cycle, a slippery slope.

But the good news is that it is just a habit. You can create another habit.

The even better news is that you don’t need to work out or overly analyse why you get stressed, or anxious, or not respond to life in the way that you want.

A habit is simply a strong pathway in the brain.

Want a new habit? Make another pathway. Do something else that takes you in another direction.

A little known key to life is what you put your attention on, grows.

The more you do it, the more the new habit becomes stronger and more “slippery” for your attention, the old one less so. You become incapable of behaving like you used to, simply because all your attention is on the new way of being.

Happiness is way more attractive to the mind. If you give it a chance it will become your default.

Good news indeed. I believe it was Aristotle who said:

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit.”

In this way, happiness is a lot like going to the gym  - that’s why I say the source of happiness and all good things in life as occurring when you are mentally fit, and flexible, and fluid.

You don’t need to believe a push up or Zumba class will make you stronger and healthier, you just need to do it - with good form and regularly - and the results are obvious.

Regular practice is everything then.

A fitness regime is essential. If you want a better life, some sort of regular “choice” practice - as in choosing your attitude and choosing to be present - is necessary.

You need to give it enough time to create a new habit, for it to become stronger, and the predominant way of living and being in the world.

But the more you do it, the more your life changes and so the more you keep wanting to do it.

It becomes self-propelling and motivating.

But you need to start. And you need the commitment to follow through.

Grab a buddy and make a pact, set aside a time each day. Just close your eyes. Remind yourself to see everything as being half-full. Be as present in this moment as much as you can.

If you need any assistance in this, let me know. I know some good ways.

Take care, and have a wonderful weekend! In fact, make it a habit.

- Arjuna

Things to do to make sure your day is a happy one

Happiness is a choice. When you realise you aren’t so much in control of the situation as you are in control of your reaction to the situation, then happiness becomes a viable option. It becomes in your control.

So how can you set your day up to be a happy one?

I have drawn up a little list for you. Feel free to add your own:

1.) Prioritise said happiness Wake up every morning with the intention of making the foundation of your day the choice to be happy (or whatever the most important thing is to you: peace, contentment, love etc). Put it first on your list.

2.) Meditate regularly Meditation - properly done - is the practice of being non-judgementally aware. Through practice a state of calm, connectedness grows within you. You also get to clearly see what choices serve you, and are able to make new ones.

3.) Accept Learn to accept the things you can’t change or leave. Don’t settle for complaining or blaming. Just accept and then you can work with what you have. Complaining is not the road to happiness.

4.) Live with your glass half-full Not an invitation to live in the pub, but rather an invitation to choose to appreciate: to see the good and the positive. You can do this in any situation or with any person, you just need to decide to.

5.) Be Grateful Happiness isn’t provided by the people and the things in your life. Happiness comes from the gratitude that these people and things are there. Gratitude is the fastest path for more.

6.) Give Find a way to give to other people. Even if it is a smile or the intention to make someone’s life a little easier, do it. You cannot be self-absorbed when you are giving. And if you find yourself ‘stuck’, get going and give.

7.) Hang out with happy people Spend as much time as you can with people that make you happy. It is contagious!

8.) Live a life of purpose Every day, do those things that fulfil your purpose. If you aren’t sure what your purpose is, it is closely related to your passions.

Give them a try and see what happens…

How to be really happy

I love to ask people what the most important thing is to them. Its a question we don't get asked often, or at all.

I’ve asked people from all around the world and they all say the same thing: It’s about being happy and content and fulfilled and loved and adventurous and having a purpose and etc etc…

What is the most important thing to you?

I bet you it has nothing to do with your goals or your possessions or your bank account or your job. It’s not about the external circumstances in your life.

These things are important - and fun - but the most important thing is an internal way of feeling about and being in life.

It’s not what you do, but how you do the things that you do. It’s not what you have, but how you relate to the things that you have.

It’s an important distinction because if you really get this you will connect the dots…

…and see that this most important thing in your life isn’t caused by anything.

It then can be a choice, a way of relating to the world where you get to decide.

It cannot be given to you and it cannot be taken away from you.

How wonderful is that?

You get to choose to be happy.

So: Choose to be happy. Choose to become that thing which is most important to you.

More on this tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Do you know that person?

Why would you want to spend precious time in your day with your eyes closed? What does it do for the real world?

Well... you know that person, that one inside you?

I do. I learnt to meditate because I wanted him to be around more.

You know... that guy or girl within you who is patient, open and friendly, happy, helpful, able to deal with life easily.

The one that doesn’t worry about their bills or get uptight about doing the things that they have to do.

The one who is able to stand up for themselves and be direct but who is able help everyone win. Who no matter what just lets it go, thinks of something funny to say and gets on.

That one that doesn't throw their dummy when everyone else around them is throwing theirs.

The one that doesn't take anything seriously, yet who is really clear and creative and gets stuff done with the minimum of fuss.

The one that really appreciates the people in their life and takes the time to let them know, who sees the beauty in their world, who is grateful for what they have.

The one that rests content at night in the knowledge that they have played a small part in making the world a better place.

You know that person, right? Inside you?

I know you live a busy life, but stop for a moment. Ask yourself, what is the purpose of your life? Not as in what do you want to do in your life, but how do you want to do it? Are the things in your life as important as the quality of it? What is it that is important to you?

I ask this because, in the pursuit of making the money to make life happen, that person inside all of us gets lost. We get tired, stressed, we make other priorities. We forget what is really important to us in the busy-ness of our day to day, we don't take time to get unstressed.

This is just one of the reasons why I continue to meditate. The more regularly I practice, the more that guy comes out – and the more I become him. I see this for everyone who practices regularly. It is just a matter of stopping and going within, and the knots of busy-ness are allowed to untie around that person inside you.

What would your life be like if he or she came out more regularly? What if you were her or him all the time? Isn't it worth finding out?

Life is so precious. You have no idea how much time you have. Please, whatever you do with your life, you don't want to waste it. Make the most of it, now.

Who's the boss?

Do you feel like you are wrestling with a constantly active mind? Do you feel like you have been given to your mind, as opposed to your mind being given to you?

Your mind never rests, it is never content. It is always active - that's what it does. You find a bit of happiness and calm, and then your mind is gone, searching for the next thing. Your mind can never be content because its always on the hunt, but that's its job.

We have a problem with over-thinking because through habit we have let the mind become the boss. We've let it into the driving seat and its gotten away, going for it, predicting, guessing, checking, comparing, the whole works. Its not relaxing because the mind is constantly busy doubting and worrying. Its inefficient too. Because the mind is never present, we rarely can meet the true need of this moment. We rarely show up for life.

In all ways, for the fullest life possible we have to learn to again be the boss of the mind.

Being the boss of the mind doesn't mean closing it down or shutting it up. It means realising what the mind is, and having a different perspective, a bigger perspective.

We are awareness. We are what we notice. For the longest time all we have noticed is the same old loops of thought that are floating around inside our skulls. We're so involved in the detail we don't see anything else. We notice the content but rarely the context. We notice the fish swimming, but rarely the water. We notice the words, but rarely who is reading. The universe is a big place, a wondrous place, but we just don't notice much of it.

Being clear, calm and content does not require force. It involves relaxing, taking a step back. When you stop and become presence, even just for a moment, everything changes. By becoming aware of the bigger picture the mind becomes smaller, quieter in comparison. You become content. Not that you weren't contentment already, its just that you were distracted, listening to your mind trying to be helpful by telling you everything that was wrong.

You also become ready. Ready for anything. All possibilities. You can meet the need of this moment because you're not absorbed in the mind talk about the last moment or the next one. You can direct your considerable attention to anything you wish, not just what your mind believes is important.

If you become the boss of your mind, you are free. Free to put your attention on anything you wish. Free to follow what is most important to you, your highest desire. Free to finally show up for life, to participate fully in it. Yet most importantly, you are free to realise who you really are.

Purpose and Peace

Many people ask: "How do you be full of peace and yet live a full, rich life?", as if they are two distinct things.

They aren't two different things. Being peaceful and full of purpose actually nurture each other. You can't live a complete life without either. So many people sell themselves short, either chasing their goals at the expense of their peace, or chasing their peace at the loss of their goals.

It needn't be this way. All the great people of this world have both - they embody a seeming paradox of having an intense will and at the same time possessing a huge humility. They have direction and certainty and yet are open to more, open to learn.

Coming to know that still quiet place inside gives you a platform so that you can experience the same. Its two branches coming from the same tree: The ability to be completely calm and content and yet dedicate your attention to whatever you wish.

In other words, you can access a complete dedication to your goals, a one pointed focus on what you are called to do and not let anything stand in your way, and have an absolute ability to "let go" and "go with the flow", to be completely loving and present to this moment.

Its important that you know that this isn't an either/or option.

So many people have made it so over the years. Because of this common movement it seems that this idea has become "true". Luckily the Truth is not democratic.

The more you experience the quiet presence inside, the more you'll come to be authentic, to live life in your own way. And then the more you live your life, the more peace and the more certainty you will find in activity, in busy-ness. It will become so that you cannot live any other way.

You can have your cake and eat it too. Everything is right here, within you.

Being a hero

It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.- Buddha

Buddha once said that the most heroic thing that anyone could ever do is face themselves.

If you want more from life, at some stage you will have to take stock and review. If you ever look at yourself honestly, go easy. Be clear and direct but don't judge yourself harshly if you feel you have failed in some way. What is judgement but the very thing that you are leaving?

You have done the best you could, at the time. Now you're in a different position. You see clearer and know better, so you will do better.

Looking within and fully and freely exercising your choice in your life is the most rewarding journey that any human being could ever embark on. The rewards for turning away from stress and limitation are instantaneous, and allow you to see yourself and the result of your choices with even greater clarity. Awareness is a gift.

It may be that sometimes you become aware of poor choices. Wonderful. Keep walking towards what you want. Keep moving, keep making the choices that bring real fulfilment and contentment - not just for some future moment, but now.

Your dream, your vision of your perfect life can be true. It can be true! So many people have this dream. So few are willing to make sure they experience it.

I've got it good in that I'm surrounded by people that remind me of this every time I see them. You may live with people like this or you may not, but you are surrounded by them. All it requires is for you reach out and ask for help.

Reaching out and getting what you need is so simple, but how often do you not? Do it. Do whatever it takes to keep every moment filled with your dream.

Clear, calm, content and fully alive

Where can you be completely at peace? Clear, calm, content and fully alive? Only right here, right now. Where ever you find yourself.

I always tried to control everything: my body, my desires, my emotions, my thoughts, seeking this experience, avoiding that one. Constantly judging. This is right, this is wrong, I am right, I am wrong.

I think everyone does. No wonder lasting peace and contentment eludes the world.

What I’ve found is that peace doesn’t come from control or from having anything sorted. Peace is not found in the future when I have everything the way I think it should be. Peace is here when I let go, when I allow what is, right now, in the unconditional acceptance of who I am and how the world is.

See what happens if you do it. Just for a moment let go. Allow your awareness to fill not with the details of what moves through it, but with what is beyond that. Resting, not seeking, not trying or chasing, leaving control and judgement and becoming acceptance itself.

If you truly embrace this space of absolute acceptance there is no such thing as a mistake, there is no such thing as a wrong experience. Everything that comes up becomes not a step off the path but a chance to be clearer in what is really important to you. You see since you can always let go again now; the past has no influence on your ability to fill yourself up in this moment.

It doesn’t matter what has been. Judge not. It brings you nothing you need. Concern yourself not with what has happened, or what will happen, but what is beyond happening. Peace is there.

Passion and Purpose

When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live a life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice - Anon Have you wondered what your purpose is? For what reason you are on this planet?

I got so excited when I met the Ishayas because I felt like I had found my purpose. The simple ability to be able to choose to experience that certain "something"... that spaciousness beyond my mind... that full, calm, clear "presence" within... that state of "Flow"...

...whatever you want to call it, it filled a hole in my heart that had been there for a long time. Committing my life to that choice was the only thing that made sense to me. Realizing that I could help others to the same experience just made my heart sing. I’ve always wanted to help others and here was the thing.

Have you wondered what your purpose is? For what reason you are on this planet?

Your purpose is exactly the same as your passion. Passion is the motor that gives drive to the GPS direction located in your heart. You all know what your passion is, the hardest thing is that we feel we should be doing something else. It’s that old chestnut of who we are is not good enough; what we want to do, we shouldn’t.

Everyone I’ve talked to about passion is almost always seeking permission to do the things that bring them the greatest joy. We know what we love to do, sometimes we’re just waiting for the acknowledgement that we are allowed to do that, that it’s okay to do that.

So here it is: You are officially allowed to do whatever it is that makes your heart sing. God definitely wants you to, that’s why she gave you a heart that could sing.

There’s a question that the Ishayas asked me once that never fails to align my life: “Where in my life am I compromising?” Some of you may remember that. Part of compromise is living a life that isn’t completely full. You know that in your heart of hearts. Time to have a look and see if there is something you need to be doing. Follow your passion, make a difference.

Life In Perspective

Nothing surpasses the holiness of those who have learned perfect acceptance of everything that is. In the game of life one plays the hand one is dealt to the best of one’s ability. Those who insist on playing not the hand they were given, but the one they insist they should have been dealt – these are life’s failures. We are not asked if we will play. That is not an option. Play we must. The option is how. - Maharishi Sadashiva Isham

I have a friend who found out a couple of weeks ago he has a tumour in his brain. I just saw him, and he is doing amazing. He is, in his own words, spiritually filled up.

He’s using his Ishayas' Ascension meditation practice more than ever because this news has shown him what stability it brings. He’s not freaking out over what might happen. He’s taking every moment just as it comes. He is receiving so much love, all he wants to do is give as much out as he can. He is so saturated in the goodness of life, and all due to the events of life making things very black and white for him.

Sometimes life just puts things in perspective for you. It shows you what is important and what really isn’t. It shows you what you have control over and what you don’t.

I know life gets busy. I know sometimes life is challenging. But don’t lose sight of what is truly important to you. Don't delay goodness until life looks the way you want it to. You may be waiting a long time for it to look perfect.

We don’t have any control over what happens to us, but we do have control over how we live through what happens. When it is all said and done, the how is the only thing that matters.

Stop fighting for what you can’t control, and start choosing for what you can. Fill this moment up with your presence. Choose to see the good, choose for acceptance, for gratitude, for love, for peace.

Life takes on another dimension when you let go of the "what," and fill each moment with the "how."

Simple and joyful, all the way

The truth is simple, and the living of it will make you laugh. If it’s not simple, it’s simply not the truth.

What I love about the meditation practice I practice - The Bright Path Ishayas' Ascension - is that it is the most simple thing I know, and it isn’t serious at all. The living of truth is a serious business, yet anytime I get serious, there is no truth.

Every holy woman and man I have ever met have been remarkable in the amount of joy they exude. Even when talking about the most serious of topics, the lightness of their being infuses every moment.

No one who has a full and rich experience of inner peace takes themselves seriously for a second.

It’s funny how I thought in order to be free, it involved some complicated knowledge, the gaining of which was a serious pursuit. I remember when I met my first Ishayas. I was wondering about their integrity because they seemed so simple, so innocent. “What could they teach me?” I thought. It turned out to be a lot.

Seriousness and lack of simplicity has become a really good indicator of where I’m off, where I’m complicating things.

It is very very simple just to stop, be aware and sink into this moment. How wonderful is it to know that is all peace requires? It makes any hard work and struggling to seriously attain something just a little bit funny.

How wonderful is it that life can be this simple? How wonderful that experiencing peace in this moment is this simple?

Commitment - what is important to you?

Commitment is the single greatest thing that will bring you what you want.

Anything that you have now is because you made a commitment to it – a commitment of heart and soul to dream it: “Yes, this is important to me” and body and mind to follow through in reality: “I won’t let anything distract me”.

The time we give every day to something is a great indicator of its importance to us. We say so many things are important, and so often we shrug our shoulders and say “I just don’t have enough time”.

Yet if it was truly important to you, you would find the time. My fellow Ishaya Priya put it beautifully:

“’Not having enough time’ is not a reason for something you can’t do, but only an excuse for something you don’t want to do.”

Many times it’s a matter of perspective.

When you first met an Ishaya, chances are they would have asked you a question: “If you could have one thing, anything at all, what would it be?” You would have said something like, peace, love, joy, freedom. All humanity is the same; our highest desire in life is to be free and happy.

That question is powerful because it brings what is truly important to you to light.

Now, how much time every day do you personally spend making sure your highest desire becomes a reality? You say it is the most important thing to you, but I am willing to bet money that actually it ends up way down on your priority list.

Gain some perspective on what is really important to you, and commit to that, truly. Don’t procrastinate. Ensure what is important is reflected in each and every day. You don’t want to live any other way.

Non-attachment: Take nothing seriously

Have strong opinions but keep them lightly held - Philip GoldmanLaugh at what you hold sacred, and still hold it sacred - Abraham Maslow Sacred cows make the best hamburgers – Mark Twain

You may have noticed that the times things get sticky for you are also the times you take things seriously. Seriousness is constriction, holding onto something tightly. It means you cannot be open or flexible or receptive to anything else.

Holding tight means you are guaranteed to hit up against something. Conflict and suffering becomes inevitable. You will set yourself up in opposition to others, but also nature itself.

Nature is change. There is the old story comparing the oak tree with the willow. When a strong wind blows the oak standing stiff and unmoving cracks and breaks; the willow is able to bend with the wind - its strength is in flexibility.

The answer is not to take anything seriously, even that which is most important to you. Have strong opinions but carry them lightly. Be open, receptive and flexible.

Make no demands. Have preferences, strong ones if you wish, but insist not. Hold onto nothing, set nothing in stone.

You may find when you do this the difference between you and your opinions become clear. When someone challenges an opinion tightly held, we believe they are challenging who we are. You see this happening so much in the world – taking things personally leads to so much misunderstanding and conflict.

Your opinions are not you. Your beliefs of how things should happen are not you. All beliefs are simply an idea of what is true from your point of view at this point in time.

The truth is much closer to you than any belief.

The way to constant peace is lined with laughter. Hold onto nothing - take nothing seriously.

The world owes you nothing

What a difference your attitude makes.

Some people live this life believing they deserve more. They are right - everyone continually deserves more - but they demand more, stomping their feet like a small child, unappreciative.

When you demand, ungrateful, the whole world turns its back on you.

The world does not owe you anything. On the contrary, you are absolutely blessed to be here.

Every moment that you are simply alive is nothing short of a miracle.

Realise that and you will be so filled with gratitude and awe you will never demand anything ever again.

You continually fill your attention with presence and stillness, nothing is lacking. Filled up, needing nothing, demanding for nothing, the whole world throws its treasure at you.

The stillness responds to your attitude. Don’t demand it comes to you; go to it, empty, giving everything of yourself. In that way, and only in that way, you will be forever filled.

What makes you come alive?

I don't believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive - Joseph Campbell

Many people spend their life looking for their purpose. They want to find out why they are here. They want to wake up in the morning with a sense of contributing to something, of knowing that they are of use.

Do you know what I mean?

The answer to your life’s purpose lies in the question: What makes you come alive? What is it that you love to do?

The things that make you come alive are the very things that shape your purpose. Get clear on your passions and your gifts and you’ll find your purpose.

Quite often people don’t think that what they love to do is enough, as in “useful” enough. They think it’s too simple, not important or grand enough to make a difference. Or they want to do it more, but they doubt their abilities, or they doubt they can make a living doing it, or whatever.

But when you do what you love to do, what state do you enter?

Aware, absorbed, excited, peaceful, complete, content, joyful, satisfied... alive.

You need to do the things you love to do because it makes your life worth living. Do what you love to do more, simply for you and you may find in the doing so you change the world.

“Don't ask yourself what the world needs - ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” - Harold Thurman

That point of alive presence and stillness that comes when you're immersed in what you love will show you the real key to purpose.

All doubt about what we want to do is dissolved when we fully give ourselves to it. When you’re absorbed in your own presence and awareness, when you stop worrying and start being, there is no doubt.

That is your real purpose: To come alive to such a degree that doubt no longer exists, no matter what you are involved in.

Your being alive speaks volumes, far more than words or noble deeds. People notice your alive presence, and want to really live too.

Your purpose is to be alive, truly alive.